A section of the towpath was cordoned off throughout the day, with officers standing guard at either end. Detectives are understood to be investigating the possibility that the attack was part of an ongoing dispute between the “Cally Road” and “Easy Cash” gangs, which is based around the EC1 postcode.

A source told the Tribune that the stabbing in King’s Cross may have been linked to an earlier assault in Somers Town, believed to have been carried out by teenagers from Islington, which was recorded and shared on social media.

Acting on a tip-off, police later recovered a knife near the junction of Chalton Street and Phoenix Road.

Emergency measures were put in place overnight into Wednesday morning, granting police additional powers to carry out stop-and-searches.

The so-called Section 60 powers applied to large parts of Islington and the south of Camden, giving officers the right to stop anyone without the grounds of suspicion that are usually required.

The Met regularly uses the power to tackle outbreaks of knife violence. There were 33 stabbings where the victim was aged 21 or under in Islington in the first six months of this year, according to Met figures.

Scotland Yard said in a statement: “The victim is believed to have been attacked by a group of males who then fled the scene.

“Detailed enquiries, including forensic tests and recovery of local CCTV footage, is in hand. A knife has been recovered from the scene. No arrests have been made at this time.

“Police are keen to speak with anyone who witnessed the attack in the busy area.”